Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread will be your new favorite once you try this recipe. I went searching for a recipe to make this deliciousness and of course found several. Ok, really, I found thousands,maybe millions of different recipes using these key ingredients. But I chose one from the 2005 edition of Taste of Home Annual Recipes and adapted it to what I had on hand and our tastes.

It’s funny, I love nuts, and I love bread and brownies, but I do not like nuts in my baked goods. So this recipe has no nuts added to it. You can make your own decision about nuts. I won’t get involved, promise. Also, I love chocolate and pumpkin together, so this might need a chocolate adjustment depending on your level of chocoholic tendencies. After tweaking and adjusting the recipe for the ingredients I had on hand, this is what I came up with.

*note - You can substitute 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of Pumpkin Spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl mix the sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, water and eggs. In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda, spices and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture in the large bowl. Now add the chocolate chips. Use as little or as many as you prefer. I like mine chocolatey so I used one cup. You can also leave them out.

Pour the bread batter into your greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 70 to 80 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. Cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan and then turn onto a wire rack to complete cooling. Enjoy! Yields one loaf.

By Janet Garman

Adapted from Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2005

Adapted from Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2005

Timber Creek Farm https://timbercreekfarmer.com/

One thing I really like about this recipe is that it is so versatile. If you do like nuts in your baked good, you can add them in. If you are not able to eat chocolate, (I am so sorry) you can add craisins, raisins, or pretty much anything you like baked into a sweet bread. Another idea is to split the bread batter into three mini loaves and share the goodness with friends and neighbors, perfect for holiday gift giving. I have also made it using muffin tins and paper liners. Goodness packed into a small carry along size. Yes, the easy pumpkin chocolate chip bread batter is that easy and versatile.

If you like this version of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, you will also love this recipe for Perfect Spiced Pumpkin Bread! A yeasty version of pumpkin bread that will knock your socks off!

Pumpkin Goes with Everything!

Pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables. The different ways you can use a pumpkin, from decorating to baking to adding nutritional goodness to your pet’s food to eating in casseroles is limitless. Try adding some pumpkin puree to your next smoothie. Keep all the pumpkins as long as you can after Halloween, because they are a crop that keeps well when stored in a cool dry location. Maybe you will even be making Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread during a January snow storm!

And for more ideas on how to use the whole pumpkin please read this post How to Use the Whole Pumpkin from earlier this week here on Timber Creek Farm.

Low Sugar Muffins You Can Bake Today

Are you looking for low sugar muffins to serve your family? I was because baking is fun for me. Not only do I love baked goods, I love whipping up something yummy for my family. Most muffin mixes and recipes are loaded with sugar!

I used to love the packaged muffin mixes, you know the just add this and that and mix it up kind. That is until I started to change our family to more clean eating habits. To me clean eating does not mean we can?t enjoy tasty treats and desserts, it means that we do so without the added junk of boxed mixes. I have found a lot of from scratch recipes I love, but hadn?t found one for muffins yet. So, one day I did some research and came up with a few recipes I pulled from and ended up with this one.

Low Sugar Muffins, You Can Make Today!

Easy Recipes and Simple Ingredients

This recipe really does not take long to whip up either. I’m finished spooning the batter into the muffin pan before my oven is even finished preheating, that’s how quickly you can enjoy these tasty muffins! An added bonus I’ve discovered is that this recipe with chocolate chips, or even blueberries, you do not need a whole lot of sugar. So many muffin recipes use way more sugar that I want to eat in a muffin. I don’t need to feel guilty over the amount of sugar I have consumed by 8am. I have made these with dark chocolate chips and but semisweet chocolate chips would be tasty too! This recipe also works for berries! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

(recipe for low sugar muffins)

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Bake time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips or 1 cup of berries

Mix Up the Goodness!

Grease muffin tray cups or line with paper cup liners

In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients

In another bowl combine wet ingredients

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients all at once and mix until moistened, don?t over mix.

Add in chocolate chips or berries

Spoon batter into the muffin cups about 2/3 full

Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

You can also use semi sweet chocolate chips and this works well for blueberry muffins as well!

Banana Muffins or Bread

Next, I turned my thoughts to the family recipe for banana bread. The recipe had been used by all of us for years. Its easy and standard with a lot of butter and lots of sugar! The butter part doesn’t bother me as much as eating the large amount of sugar does. So I decided to make some changes to the recipe. Honey was considered but the conversion would still require a lot of honey. I thought, why not just reduce the sugar and see if it works. I adjusted the fats too, because I was feeling daring.

Banana Bread or Muffins

A low sugar muffins recipe

makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup of butter softened

1/4 cup of coconut oil softened

1/2 cup of sugar

1 egg

3 bananas mashed

1/4 cup of buttermilk

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugar together. In a third bowl, mash the bananas. Add the buttermilk and the egg. Mix well. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the banana mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix just until combined.

Options for Banana Muffin Batter for Low Sugar Muffins

Banana Bread – Grease a loaf pan. Spread the batter in the loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 50 minutes. (test with a toothpick inserted in center) Remove from oven, let cool for about 10 minutes in pan. Turn the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool before slicing.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugar together. In a third bowl, mash the bananas. Add the buttermilk and the egg. Mix well. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the banana mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix just until combined.

Banana Bread - Grease a loaf pan. Spread the batter in the loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 50 minutes.(check doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf. It should come out without batter on it) Remove from oven, let cool for about 10 minutes in pan. Turn the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool before slicing.

3 Breads I No Longer Buy at the Store

Bagels, hamburger rolls and french bread are three breads I no longer buy at the store, unless I am feeling lazy. The hardest one of these for me to overcome mentally was making bagels at home. I just could not see how these could be as delicious as a bagel shop’s bagels. Let me tell you how wrong I was! The hamburger rolls are literally the best ever. It’s hard to not eat them all plain with butter as they come from the oven. French bread is something I learned to make early in my life. It is simple and so much better than the store purchased loaf. Take your garlic bread to a new level of delicious with homemade french bread!

The Uncommon Hamburger Bun

Hamburger buns are easily found in any food store or convenience market. The problem is finding a package of buns that is not loaded with preservatives and ingredients you might not want to feed your family. What if you could make the hamburger rolls in the time it takes to get a salad and potatoes ready for the meal? You can make hamburger buns. Soon you will join me saying, this is one of the breads I no longer buy at the store!

Ingredients

1 cup of warm water

4 and 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter

1 egg

3 and 1/2 cup flour

Instructions

Measure out the yeast. and sprinkle it over the warm water in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let the yeast wake up for a few minutes. Add all the additional ingredients to the bowl.

Mix with the dough hook for 3 to 5 minutes. Dough will form and look smooth. Add a tiny bit of additional flour if dough is really sticky.

Dump the dough on a floured board and divide the dough into the rolls. If I want hamburger size rolls, I divide into eight equal pieces, rolling into a ball, and flattening slightly.

Choose to Make What you Need

You can also choose to make 24 dinner size rolls or 12 smaller sandwich rolls by dividing into smaller size balls. One time I tried this recipe using a single loaf pan. This worked out well and was great for sandwiches as it sliced evenly and had a good texture.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space the rolls evenly.

Cover the sheet with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. (If you make one loaf of bread the baking time is closer to 30 minutes.)

Cool and serve!

These rolls freeze well for later.

French Bread is so Versatile!

French Bread goes with just about any meal. I rarely turn down a sample of fresh bread! The recipe is versatile also. Are you making a french dip roast beef in the crock pot? Use this recipe to make rolls instead of a full loaf. Your family and guests will be impressed with your skills! Only you will know how easy making french bread can be.

Ingredients

5 ? 6 cups of all purpose flour

2 packages of active dry yeast or instant yeast

2 tsps salt

2 cups warm water- divided (115 ? 120 degrees F)

optional- 1 egg white and 1 Tbsp water for brushing on the loaves before baking.

Instructions

Adding yeast directly to the dry ingredients is fine if you are using instant yeast. Regular Active Dry Yeast should be proofed. Use 1/2 cup of the recipe?s warm water, in a small bowl mix the yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Sprinkle a pinch of white sugar on top and let it sit and proof for about 10 minutes. The mixture should bubble and become frothy looking.

In the mixer bowl add two cups flour, the salt and the remaining one and one half cups warm water. Begin mixing slightly. Stop the mixer and add the proofed yeast mixture.

Using one cup at a time, add the additional flour until the dough ball forms. Continue to let the mixer knead the dough for about 5- 8 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and springy and pull away cleanly from the bowl.

Grease a large bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and turn to lightly coat the ball with oil. Cover with a clean dish towel. Put the bowl in a warm draft free place to rise for about one hour. If my house is really cool, this is how I get a warm spot for the bread dough to rise. Preheat the oven for a few minutes. Turn off the oven. Let it cool to a the point it feels really warm. Place the bowl in the oven with the door cracked slightly. Leave it to rise. Remove before preheating the oven for baking.

Getting Ready to Bake – One more rise

Punch down the dough and remove from the bowl. Place on a cutting board. Cut the dough into two pieces. ( Or if you choose to make rolls, cut into 8 pieces.) Let rest for 10 minutes. Taking one piece at a time, roll the dough into a 10 X 15 rectangle. On the long side, begin rolling the dough up tightly. Pinch the seam to seal and turn the ends under the loaf slightly. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that is greased and sprinkled with corn meal if desired. I like to use parchment paper to bake on as it reduces my chance of burning the bottom of the loaves.

Cover the loaves on the baking sheet with a towel and allow them to rise a second time for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Make 3 diagonal cuts into the top of each loaf.

Prepare the egg white glaze and brush on the loaves. This gives them a lovely shiny appearance when baked.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

While this is a recipe that requires a second rise time, there is nothing difficult about making French bread. If you like step by step photos check out this post on French bread baking and other delicious bread recipes.

The Bagels – Breads I No Longer Buy

Folks, I am not kidding when I tell you that I love bagels. I can eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bagels pair well with grass fed,homemade butter, homemade cream cheese, fresh jam, lunch meat, tunafish salad, chicken salad, eggs and bacon. The list goes on. I really thought this would be way too time consuming for my busy schedule. And then I saw a recipe that broke it all down for my pea brain. It didn’t look hard at all. The next time I ran out of bagels I grabbed the flour and mixer and made my own. Now I have added bagels to the list of breads I no longer buy at the store!

Ingredients

Instructions

(if you want step by step photos of this process, check out my source for the recipe – here)

Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the warm water.

Add the yeast to the warm water and let it wake up for a few minutes. It will look bubbly and frothy when ready.

Begin mixing the dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. The dough needs to be smooth and stretchy.

Grease a large bowl and put the dough in, flipping it over so top and bottom are greased. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for one and a half hours.

Do not punch down the dough as you do in most other recipes. Just pour the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface.

Cut the dough into 8 equal parts and shape in to balls, sort of flattened on top.

Place the dough balls on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. ( I burn so many things if I don’t use parchment paper) Cover with the towel again and let rise for 30 minutes.

The Magic Bagel Step

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar to the water.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Push a hole into the center of each bagel using your thumb.

Put a few bagels at a time into the boiling water. Cook for two minutes on one side, then flip to the other side for an additional two minutes. (A wooden spoon handle is a good tool for flipping the bagels.)

Place the boiled bagels on the lined baking sheet. (You can grease the baking sheet if you don’t have parchment paper)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Finally, cool the bagels completely before storing.

Once you start making your own bread, making delicious homemade butter can’t be far behind.Check out these additional posts on making butter at home.

Everyone should have a good all purpose bread baking cookbook on hand. I recommend this one from Common Sense Homestead. Never Buy Bread Again

How to Make Chocolate Mint Extract

There are other ways to make chocolate mint extract. This version was inspired by the actual chocolate mint variety I planted in the herb garden. This year, the best part of my garden turned out to be the herbs I planted in containers on my deck. Late Spring and Early Summer showers and rains storms created strong, lush green plants. I have never had such a happy looking herb garden. The first time I harvested the herbs, I was slightly overwhelmed with how much I had to preserve. I dried some and used some in cooking.

I air dried a large pile of mixed herbs, crumbled them up and fed them to the chickens. While working with all the different types of mint I had planted this year, I was really able to smell and taste the difference. I planted Mint Mojito, Spearmint, Black Mint, Mint Julep, and Chocolate Mint. The chocolate mint captured my attention and was a milder, earthier mint. Where the spearmint jumped out shouting it’s flavor at me, the chocolate mint, with it subtle deep aroma had me intrigued. After caring for all the herbs daily for the last few months, I really wanted to do something special with the leaves, so that I could remember and enjoy them through the winter.

What can you do with fresh mint?

After rinsing the leaves, pat dry and allow to air dry completely. At this point you can dehydrate for teas, steep the leaves in a solution to make an extract, add to potpourri when dried, or mix into the nesting material in your chicken coop.

Fresh mint can be used in many refreshing drinks. Mint juleps, mojitos, and of course, iced tea.

Mint Jelly- My mom always served mint jelly with lamb. This year I will make my own mint jelly!

Health and Beauty uses

A sprig of mint and a sprig of Rosemary, added to 8 ounces apple cider vinegar will help fight dandruff flakes. Let the mint and rosemary steep in the apple cider vinegar for a week, use as a rinse after shampooing hair.

How to Make Chocolate Mint Extract

Gather the fresh chocolate mint leaves. Use about a cup or cup and a half of fresh leaves. (Buy a chocolate mint plant here, if you aren’t already growing it)

Lightly break up the leaves to release the natural oils from the leaves. Place the leaves in a pint jar. You want the jar to be full but not packed down. The leaves should have room to swish around and be completely covered by the liquid.

I use vodka to make my extracts. Since vodka has little to no taste of it’s own, it allows the extract to fully be flavored by the plant material. Use an 80% proof strength. I grab the cheaper stuff for this project. Rum is another option for a slightly different flavor.

Pour the vodka over the leaves, covering the leaves completely. Close the jar tightly, store away from natural light, like the back of a shelf or the back of a cupboard.

Every day or so, take the jar out and shake it up gently to distribute the leaves. Place it back in the dark.

Bottling the Chocolate Mint Extract

After two months the extract should be getting strong enough to strain and bottle for use or gift giving. I like to give it at least two months and up to four months is great! The flavor and aroma will continue to deepen.

When the extract is strong enough, strain through a fine strainer or coffee filter into a clean jar. Label and store the extract away from natural light. When I make a batch, I store it in the mason jar until I bottle it up for gift giving.

Using a small funnel, carefully pour the extract into a 4 ounce brown bottle. I purchase these in bulk from SKS Bottles or smaller quantities here.

Add your own beautiful tag or label for the chocolate mint extract. I came across a suggestion to add to the gift. Chocolate mint roots easily. Start some individual plants in cute small pots while waiting for the extract to steep. Then, give the extract and the small pot of chocolate mint! Great idea for the cook on your gift list.

What to do with your chocolate mint extract

Use a drop or two in your coffee, tea or hot cocoa

It is delicious in ice cream! Add a tablespoon to flavor homemade batch of ice cream.

Add a teaspoon to homemade vanilla frosting for a chocolate cake! (drooling)

Gift Tip!

One last tip on making extracts for gifts. If you are getting a late start, give the recipient an extract kit. You can start the extract for them, using a pretty mason jar. Add a small funnel, a glass jar for the extract, and a card with the instructions on filtering and storing extract after a certain date. The gift recipient can enjoy the process too, and then bottle it up and enjoy.

Honey Cinnamon Applesauce in the Crockpot

Honey cinnamon applesauce in the crockpot was on the to-do list. Honestly, what was on the to-do list was “get the apples processed!” They were everywhere in the kitchen since I felt the need to bring home a couple bushels of apples from the orchard. And in my own haphazard style, I ended up mixing up the tart apples I bought for eating and canning with the apples bought for pie filling and applesauce. Now I had a large crockpot of the the most tart applesauce ever made. There are many other ways to preserve apples but this year we needed more applesauce on the shelves.

Sugar would have been my first solution a few years ago. Since that time we have begun using honey more often as a sweetener of choice, here at home. It’s definitely worth a try. Most batches of applesauce are sweet naturally because I don’t choose the tart crunchy apples. Experimentation leads to new culinary delights! So I set to work making this batch of applesauce more palette pleasing.

After scouring the internet for some idea of how much honey to add, I decided to start with a quarter of a cup of honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon. You can always add more honey to taste. If you are starting fresh and adding the honey at the beginning of the cooking process, add a four tablespoons of honey, to start with. You can always add more later.

Honey Cinnamon Applesauce (Serves 8)

Cut apples and remove the core. I usually slice the apples into four to six pieces and toss into the crockpot. When all the apples are cut and cored, fill the crockpot with water and three tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir to coat all the apples and let sit for 15 minutes. Lemon juice prevents some of the browning, although you can see this batch came out quite dark.

Drain the water from the apples. Add the honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Set the crockpot to cook on low for four hours. Check your apples while they are cooking because each crockpot cooks differently. Your batch of apples might cook more quickly.

Using a stick blender (immersion blender) Blend the cooked honey cinnamon applesauce to the consistency you prefer.

Return the crockpot to cook down the mixture for another hour or two. The honey cinnamon applesauce will thicken as it cooks.